Newcomer Jimmy Wilkerson officially was initiated as a member of the New Orlens Saints' defense Saturday when he scooped a loose ball off the ground during the team's Black and Gold scrimmage, then took off running toward the end zone for about 30 yards before being whistled down by contact.

Michael DeMocker/The Times-PicayuneNew Orleans Saints defensive end Junior Galette (67) continues his pursuit of quarterback Chase Daniel despite losing his helmet on the play during the Black & Gold scrimmage on Saturday.

"He did a great job," said linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who had stripped the ball loose from tight end Jimmy Graham after a dump-off pass from Patrick Ramsey behind the line of scrimmage. "I wanted to go for that ball, but (Wilkerson) was coming with a full head of steam. I thought, 'I'll back up and just be happy that we got the ball.' "

Although he didn't score on the play, Wilkerson said it felt great to take off running down the field, both mentally and physically.

"Just being out there with the guys, participating and not standing on the sideline, that's really the most important thing," said Wilkerson, a 29-year-old defensive end who is recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in Week 16 last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"You know, Coach (Gregg) Williams and really the whole defensive staff, they really harp on always picking the ball off the ground, whether it's an incomplete pass, fumble, stripped ball, whatever," Wilkerson said. "We're always going to pick the ball up and run, so it has to be something that comes natural to us. And really, that was something that came natural to me.

"And at the same time, I didn't even think about my leg when I was trying to split those two offensive linemen."

Wilkerson, who also broke inside for a sack later in practice against rookie quarterback Sean Canfield, said he never before dealt with a major injury. He said he's still trying to "get over the mental hump" of not worrying about the knee and how it will hold up.

He has been limited to one practice a day during training camp, with an occasional full day of rest, but he seems to be ahead of schedule.

"Being that this is the first serious injury I've had, the mindset of the long process and not being out there on the field and not being able to practice two times a day with the guys, you know it's frustrating," Wilkerson said. "Mentally, you're beat up, then it just sets in a lot of mental fatigue. So I've just got to keep getting over that hump and just be patient, and your time's going to come.

"I've just got to keep progressing on every down, every play, so my memory, my leg and my mind can start working together again."

Wilkerson (6 feet 2, 270 pounds) spent five seasons in Kansas City, mostly as a backup, after being drafted in the sixth round from Oklahoma in 2003. His career took off when he joined the Bucs in 2008. He had 11 sacks the past two seasons, becoming a full-time starter for the first time last year.

For now, he is working at defensive end, where the Saints also added veteran free agent Alex Brown to help replace former starter Charles Grant. Then, once the Saints get through their installations, Wilkerson will also work as a pass-rushing defensive tackle in third-down situations.

He said he had doubts about heading into free agency with the injury concerns and wondered, "Am I going to play next year? What team is going to come pick me up with this injury?

"I just had to take it all in stride, continue to work hard, and hopefully the things I did that they saw on film would help me get with a team," Wilkerson said. "And, shoot, I landed with the Super Bowl champions. I couldn't ask for anything better."

JONES RISING: A year ago this week, cornerback Reggie Jones was carted off the Saints' practice field with an Achilles tendon injury, causing him to spend his entire rookie season on injured reserve. But Jones, an undrafted free agent from Portland State, has been making up for lost time in camp this year, making a number of impressive plays.

He broke up two deep passes in Saturday's scrimmage, one on third-and-long against the dynamic duo of quarterback Drew Brees and receiver Marques Colston.Earlier this week, Jones forced a fumble by tailback P.J. Hill and intercepted passes by Patrick Ramsey and Sean Canfield.

"I'm really just happy to be out here, you know. I'm just excited about playing football again," said Jones, who was ever-present at the Saints' practice facility last season, trying to gain as much as he could from being around the team, and often being confused for veteran cornerback Mike McKenzie because of those familiar flowing dreadlocks.

"I sat out the entire year, and I'm just watching everybody do all these things. And I'm just like, 'I'm going to learn what I can now, so when I get out there, I can do what I see them doing and have fun.'"

Jones (6 feet, 193 pounds) began his college career as a receiver at Idaho before transferring to play cornerback at Portland State for one season. He is a long shot to make the Saints' roster because of the depth at cornerback and safety, but he has a great shot at making the practice squad.

He insisted he's not worrying about that right now.

"No, like I said, I had a year to watch how everything went down, so I realize that this year, if I worry about who's going home, who's staying, I'm going to stress myself out," Jones said. "And that's when injuries occur, and I got injured last year.

So now I'm just having a good time, having fun and just playing ball and making plays when they come."

INJURY REPORT: The Saints made it through their scrimmage without any new injuries of note. Receiver Rod Harper (hip) and tight end Tyler Lorenzen (hamstring) were held out of action after being injured Friday, although Coach Sean Payton said he expects both players to return to practice next week in New England.

Shanle has been out since Monday with a left knee strain, longer than Payton first estimated when he said Shanle would only miss a day. But Payton said he still expects Shanle, the starting weakside linebacker, back for next week's joint practices with the Patriots.

SACK ATTACK: The Saints' defense had six sacks in Saturday's scrimmage, plus another one that was technically an "aborted play" after a botched snap from center Jonathan Goodwin to Brees. The sacks were unofficially credited to Wilkerson, end Will Smith, end Junior Galette, linebacker Jonathan Casillas, linebacker Troy Evans and cornerback Leigh Torrence.

HEATING UP: The Saints have often escaped the heat during this year's camp, moving indoors several times. But they were baking Saturday. The on-field temperature when they began practice around 10:30 a.m. was 91 degrees, with a heat index of 110, and both figures continued to intensify over the next two hours.

COOLING OFF: Graham, a rookie, had the roughest performance during Saturday's scrimmage, fumbling the ball away to the defense, dropping a pass and being whistled for two apparent false-start penalties.

But the most damaging performance of the day when it comes to the roster battle might have been receiver Larry Beavers' fumble on a kickoff return. Beavers, a first-year pro, has dynamic speed, but he needs to excel on special teams to have a chance to push for a roster spot at such a crowded position.

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Mike Triplett can be reached at mtriplett@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3405.